The Stars of Texas
by god-damn-sam
Summary: Deep in the heart of Texas we find Bella and Emmett. Sibling vampires just trying to survive this paranormal life that was thrust upon them in 1920. It's here in the Lone Star State where our siblings run into the Cullens and have their lives changed forever. Both will find love and both will finally find what they didn't know they were looking for, family. B/J, Em/R, Ed/A, Es/C.
1. Chapter 1

Being the new girl sucks. Being the new girl with a super hot older brother who grabs the attention of every girl within a 5-mile radius is excruciating. It also doesn't help when you aren't completely, normal, for a lack of phrasing. I considered myself to be normal, well normal in comparison to my brother. Not normal in comparison to high school students of the south.

Emmett always tries to convince me that it doesn't matter that we are different than those around us. He takes our differences in stride and makes them work for him. Me on the other hand, my differences are a handicap and I let them be. What are the differences, you ask? Don't worry; we will get to those soon.

So, it was my first day at another new high school in the middle of Texas where my life, already weird, changed and entered into the world of….more weird. I was headed towards my first class, European History, my favorite subject, when I noticed a weird energy in the hallway. I tried to ignore it but a shiver went down my spine before I entered the classroom forcing me to look down the hallway. There was a boy standing and staring at me. I use the term boy loosely. His face and build looked like a normal teenager but the way he held himself and the light in his eyes told another story. He looked like a man who had lived many lives.

He broke eye contact and continued on his way. I took a seat in the classroom but couldn't shake the feeling that he was someone I was meant to know. That's the first difference about me. I got feelings about things that were about to happen. I also had premonitions in the form of dreams. That's what helped my brother and I support ourselves. I would have a dream about the stocks and Emmett would invest accordingly.

The rest of the day went on without any more sightings of the man-boy. People continued to stare at me and the girls would try and become my best friend when they found out Emmett was my brother. It was just like any other first day at a new high school, and I had had more than my fair share. That's what happens when you move around a lot; what happens when you are a half-vampire who doesn't age. I guess that's the biggest difference about me. I wasn't completely human.

"Hey Emmie, how was your first day"

"Same ole', same ole' Bells. How was yours? Any boys I need to go ahead and scare off now?"

"Har Har. My day was fine. A lot of girls wanting to be my friend so they can get close to you. You know how it is."

"Yeah yeah yeah. What are the plans for dinner? I know I need to go hunt to stock the freezer but for the other half of your diet, what would you like?"

"Hmm…I'm thinking the customary first day bacon cheeseburger and fries would be splendid."

Emmett drove us home so he could go hunting for himself and to gather blood for me. Emmett was a full vampire so he needed to hunt at least once a week. I only needed to consume blood once every 3 weeks or so allowing me to survive mostly off human food. I just had to eat more meat than most humans. That was the good thing about living in Texas. People don't look strangely at you when you go to Walmart and buy pounds and pounds of raw meat. They just assumed you were preparing for a BBQ competition or something.

While Emmett went hunting, and after I made myself my dinner, I decided to start unpacking boxes in my room. I had a ton of books and, well, I liked to think my books had feelings and the sooner they were out of their cardboard prisons, the sooner they would start making this house feel like a home.

I liked to reflect back on how I got my books. Where were Emmett and I? What year? What was going on in my life? I got my copy of "The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe" when we lived in Chicago back in the late 1970's. Emmett really liked to wear bell-bottom jeans and had long hair a la John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. My mother gave my "Pride and Prejudice" to me before her and my father died in 1920. I'm not 100% sure what exactly happened to them. All I know for sure is, they were killed by a vampire who thought it would be funny to kill them, turn Emmett completely, then try and turn me only to suck the venom out at the very last possible second before the change was complete. The vampire then left Emmett and I to figure out this new life together. I was 20 and Emmett was 23. Good thing about vampire genetics, I looked 16 and Emmett looked 18.

"RUUUUUCY! I'M HOOOOOOOME!"

"OH Ricky, I missed you so much! What did you bring me?"

"Your favorite. Bobcat."

"Oh my god, you actually found one!?"

"Not just one my dear sister, I got you 4. Turns out there is a bit of a population problem in these here parts. I also got you some bear, deer, and wolf. I know you hate deer but in a pinch…you'll drink it."

I scrunched my nose up at him. Deer tasted like what rotten eggs smelled like. Maybe rotten eggs mixed with spoiled milk and moldy cheese. But he was right, in a pinch, I would drink it.

"What did you bag for yourself bubba?"

"Oh you know, a little bit of bear, a little bit of wolf, and a mountain lion. You are a genius for suggesting we finally come back to Texas, by the way."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't quite hear you. Can you say that again a little louder."

"You heard me, I said you are a genius. GENIUS."

"Ah, yes. I know. It's about damn time you finally acknowledge my superior intellect."

With that we went our separate ways to do our nightly routines. Emmett would catch up on the sports news and I would go take a long and hot relaxing bath with whatever romance novel I was reading that day on my iPad.

The entire time in the bath, I couldn't stop thinking about the man-boy I saw at school. Something about him screamed paranormal. Em and I hadn't come across too many of our kind through the years. Mostly because we liked to settle down into human life for a few years as opposed to the vampy norm of drifting through the world. We also didn't like to hunt humans. Of course to survive, we did have to consume human blood a minimum of 4 times a year. We would just raid a hospital and neither one of us had actually ever killed a human.

I had the sinking feeling he was a vamper like me. I reflected back on his looks. He was tall like Emmett but not as muscular. Emmett could, and often did, pass as a body builder. This guy was an understated kind of muscular. He had a chiseled face. Like one you would see on the men in the old western movies. He had curly blonde hair and eyes of honey. Eyes the color of a fellow animal drinker. Eyes like Emmett and I.

The rest of the night, I thought about this guy. I couldn't get him out of my head. It was thought of him running through my head when I fell asleep. Thoughts that I am sure triggered the first premonition of this new home.

_I was standing in a forest with a blindfold over my eyes._

"_Are you ready love? Are you sure this is really what you want to do?" he asked._

"_I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I am ready to be wholly yours, forever." _

_He removed the blindfold and I looked around the meadow. He had stringed lights across the sky making it look like there were 100x more stars across the Texas sky. There were blankets laid out in the center of the meadow and he had laid out a small dinner. My final meal as a half vampire. He had all my favorites. Mozzarella sticks from Red Robin, a bacon cheeseburger and fries from 5 guys, pancakes from IHOP, and chips and queso from Chilis. _

"_You really know how to make a girl swoon, don't you?" I asked him._

"_You're the only girl I care about making swoon."_

_After eating all the food, we lay down and stared at the sky together._

"_This is the beginning of a wonderful life."_

"_You can be so cheesy, you know that?"_

_He looked at me with that smirk on his face that made my knees feel like jelly. He leaned over and kissed me one last time before he sunk his teeth into my neck completing the change and marking me as his forever. I would forever be Isabella Marie Whitlock, mate to the God of War._

**AN: So, I havent wrote a story in many many moons. I recently have been dealing with a lot of stress and heartache in my life and decided to use writing as an outlet for all the emotions running through me. This story will probably be a lot of fluff with minimal drama. I wont say its going to be drama free because...well that would be a boring story. **

**I am going to try for regular updates but I cant make any promises. I am in my very last semester of college and life gets hectic. Good news is, this summer will be the first summer I have had off in 6 years so I will have all the time in the world to write this story and more granted people actually want to read it. **

**I am not going to be one of those authors who only posts after getting a certain number of reviews on a chapter. I used to do that and I just found that...it doesnt work for me. I do like to hear what you think though. I have had reviews with what people think is going to happen in the story that leads to me changing the route of the story because I liked the idea. If this happens, I will give credit where credit is due. **

**The last time I wrote a FanFiction I was 18 or 19. I am now 23 and I am sure my writing style has changed as I have changed. **

**I hope you liked the first chapter and I look forward to reading the reviews. Also, check out my profile for the link to my Polyvore account. I am a visual person so I like to plan the outfits and stuff for my characters per chapter. I will probably also post links to stuff like the houses I visualize, cars, etc. **

**Until next time my lovelies.**


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up the next morning, I still couldn't get the mystery vampire out of my head. I tried to go about my morning in a normal fashion but I was distracted. So distracted that my unobservant brother noticed.

"Bella, you ok? You seem off this morning."

"Em, I'm pretty sure we aren't the only vampires here. I saw a male vampire at school yesterday and I just can't seem to stop thinking about him."

"Oh, yeah. The Cullen's are here."

"As in Carlisle Cullen? Vegetarian Cullen's?"

"Yep, those Cullen's. I have the 2 older kids in some of my classes."

"And you told them about us didn't you?"

"Well, I told them that I had a little sister and we were both vampires. I didn't tell them about you're quirks and awesomeness."

We both went about our business getting ready for school. By the time I was ready to go, I was a bundle of nerves. Em and I had been alive for a long time but for some reason, we had very little exposure to other vampires. The exposure we did have didn't last for very long and was usually filled with the other vampires gossiping about the people they knew or ran into. That's how we knew about Carlisle and his coven.

We had been living in Boston at the time when I met Garrett. He was turned during the American Revolution and only fed on criminals. He told us about Carlisle and his family of animal drinkers. It's a rare occurrence for vampires to live in large covens and even more unheard of for them to refer to their coven as a family. Em and I were an exception because we were actually blood siblings in our human lives and had the same sire. Our bond was almost as deep as the fabled true soul mates.

"Em, do you mind if I drive myself today? I need time to think and I am planning on going to the book store after school."

"Sure shrimp, that's fine with me. See you at school!"

All my morning classes went off without a hitch. I was hit on again and again by Mike Newton. I got evil glares from Jessica Stanley and her cronies. Angela was sweet and showed me around the school.

By the time lunch rolled around, I was in a better mood. I walked into the cafeteria and looked for Emmett. He was sitting at a rather large table and the reason why entered the room from the other side.

The Cullen's walked in like a group of models. All that was missing were doves flying behind them, a fan in front of them, and angels singing above them. These people seriously looked like they took themselves too seriously. Who wears stiletto heels in high school? Apparently both the Cullen girls did, that's who.

I walked to the lunch line to get some food even though I had lost my appetite.

"Hey brother, mind if I sit with you?"

"Do you really have to ask Bells? Of course you can sit here."

I sat down with my tray of food and didn't make an effort to introduce myself to the table, so Emmett did it for me.

"Everyone, this is my not normally so rude little sister Bella. Bella, these are the Cullen's. Be nice and say hi, Bella."

I rolled my eyes but answered, "Hi Bella."

"Smart ass" Emmett responded.

"Takes one to know one brother bear. Alright, who's who?" I asked.

"The tall hot blonde is Rosalie Hale. The one sitting next to her Edward Cullen with his mate and wife Alice. And finally, Jasper Whitlock is the one sitting across from you."

I looked up and around the table saving Jasper for last. He was the one I saw in the hall way and the one I had the dream about. We locked eyes for only a second but that one-second was enough to send my half dead heart into overdrive. Once it started beating fast, all eyes turned to me.

"I thought you said you were both vampires." Edward said.

"We are vampires, I just happen to be half-vampire. The bastard who changed us decided to experiment on me before abandoning us. He managed to take the venom out of my system before the change was complete."

I heard a growl coming from across the table but refused to look at Jasper. I knew what he was feeling, he was angry and wanted to hunt the bastard down.

"I'm gonna take a stab in the dark here and guess that 3 of you have special abilities. Let's see if I can guess right. Alice can see the future, Edward can read minds, and Jasper can manipulate emotions. Am I right?" I asked the table.

"Yes ma'am you are but how did you know?" Jasper responded and dear lord his voice was as smooth as honey and made my knees feel like jelly.

"It's one of my many, quirks, as Emmett would put it. I have the ability to borrow other powers among other things. The one drawback is that the vampire with the power has to be in the same room in order for me to borrow it." I spoke while looking at the table. My abilities always made me feel like a freak. I knew that if the wrong people found out about me, they would stop at nothing to make sure I was on their side of any fight.

Jasper and the others just continued to stare at me. I didn't mention that not only could I borrow powers but also when I did, I could amplify them. With Edward's power, I could read others thoughts but I could also push my thoughts into someone's head.

"_Emmett, I don't like how they are all staring at me. I feel like a freak. Can you make them stop or something?"_ I asked silently.

He gave a small nod and asked the others how old they were and the stories of how they were changed. I tuned everything out and picked at my lunch. Jasper continued to stare at me and it looked like he was slowly working out the sudden connection between us. I didn't want to acknowledge the connection because it scared me. I had only seen mated vampires from a distance and heard stories. I didn't want to feel the pain in the chest from being away from my mate or the intense need to always be touching them in some way. Edward and Alice were constantly holding hands and circling each other like magnets. I liked my independence and didn't really want to give any of that up.

I also noticed how Rose and Emmett seemed to circle each other. They were always looking at each other and giving small smiles to each other. I gasped when the realization hit me.

"Oh my god Emmie, she's your mate isn't she?"

"Yeah Bells, she is. I didn't know how to tell you but I knew the moment I looked at her in class yesterday. Are you mad?"

"Mad? How could I be mad at you for that? I'm so happy for you. It's about time you found your other half."

Em and Rose just smiled at me and everyone went about their business for the rest of lunch. Everyone seemed to be getting along nicely except for Jasper and I. We didn't talk to anyone from that point on just sat in our own little bubbles of thought.

"_You ok Jasper?" _I asked him silently.

He startled for a quick second then composed himself before looking at me and answering. _"Yeah, I'm ok. How are you talking to me in my head? Can Edward hear us?"_

_ "I amplify the powers I borrow and no he can't. I have a mental shield. He hasn't been able to read my mind the entire time I've been here. I'm a freak of nature."_

_ "I think you're amazing Bella. How many other hidden talents do you have?"_

I smiled shyly before answering him. "_A few. Maybe one day I'll show you everything. Can I be honest?"_

_ "Always"_

_ "I know what we are to each other and it scares the living daylights out of me."_

_ "It scares me too. I don't really know what to do about it."_

_ "Well, how about we take it slow? Figure it out together? I know most mated pairs jump in headfirst and go about this at warp speed. I'm pretty sure Em and Rose will be humping each other like bunnies before the day is over."_

_ "I will do whatever makes you happy Bella. But yes, I think going slow and figuring this out for ourselves would be our best option. Like human courting."_

_ "Courting? How old did you say you were? I think they call it dating nowadays."_

He chuckled softly but didn't answer me. I looked around the table and noticed everyone was staring at us but no one said anything until after the warning bell rang. Emmett and Rose decided to skip the rest of their classes and go back to our place.

"Stay out of my room Emmett or I swear on mom and dad's grave I will castrate you." I snarled under my breath.

"Remind me to never piss you off." Jasper said before turning and going to his class.

"_Hey Jasper, I forgot to ask you something. After school I was planning on going to the bookstore to pick up some new material. Would you like to go with me?"_

_ "I would like nothing more than to spend the afternoon with you. This mind talking thing is equal parts awesome and weird but useful by the way." _

I didn't answer him but sent him an image of me smiling evilly before paying attention to class again. I could only imagine the kind of trouble I could get into with mind talking and Jasper. Knowing Jasper was just as apprehensive about the mating bond as I was made me feel a little better. I knew we couldn't ignore it forever and not that we were ignoring it but going slow was probably what was best for us.

**AN: **

**Alright so here is chapter 2. Both my classes for the day were cancelled so I decided to crank another chapter out. Thanks to the people who have reviewed, favorited, & followed. I was not expecting it at all. I will try and answer all reviews as I get them.**

**I do not have this story planned out at all. I am just writing as ideas come to me. Like I said in the last chapter, there won't be a lot of drama and conflict with this story and the drama that does happen won't last very long. **

**Don't forget to check out my profile for links to things for this story. I posted links to Emmett & Bella's bedrooms, cars, and house and also a link to the Cullen's house. My Polyvore account has been updated to include outfits for the first 2 chapters as well. **

**Until next time my lovelies, thanks for reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

At the end of the day, I stood by my truck waiting for the rest of the supernatural horde to make their way out of the building. I noticed Rose and Em also making their way out of the building and shot my brother a confused look.

"We decided to not spend the whole day getting freaky and spent some time talking and learning about each other. We actually never left campus." Em said to me.

"You, of all people, decided to not have your wicked way with the tall, blonde, bombshell and talked instead? Who are you and what have you done with my perpetually horny older brother? STRANGER DANGER!" I answered back.

By this point, everyone had made their way over to my truck and were laughing at the antics my brother and I constantly caused.

"You're so not funny Bella."

"Oh contraire, mon frère, I am hilarious. It's about time you start acknowledging my comedic genius."

"Psh, I taught you everything you know. You would be nothing without me."

"Back at you Bro-da."

"Did you just call him Bro-da? As in Yoda but with Bro?" Edward asked.

"Why yes, I did. I have a plethora of 'bro' words that I like to torture Emmie-boo with."

"Don't call me Emmie-boo. I hated it when mom did it and I don't hate it any less now."

"Yes sir, bro sir." I mock saluted.

By this point the whole group was in stiches laughing so hard. We all figured out what the afternoon plans were before Jasper and I jumped into my truck and made our way to the bookstore.

Bookstores were my personal oasis away from home. Whenever I was stressed and didn't want to stay home, I went to a bookstore and escaped to another life. I like to think that even though I was a relatively young vampire, I had already lived a thousand lives through all the reading I did. It was the same when I was wholly human as well. Momma used to get onto me all the time for not doing my chores because my nose was always stuck in a book. Daddy encouraged me by always bringing home books, which Momma did not appreciate too much.

"I am so jealous of your truck right now. And, if I may be a touch forward, you look amazingly hot driving it."

"Thank you." I replied shyly.

"So, where are you and your brother originally from? I noticed both of you have slight southern accents." Jasper asked.

"We are originally from Texas, actually. We are from a tiny tiny town in the panhandle that is no longer in existence thanks to Lubbock gobbling it up. What about you?"

"I am also originally from Texas but I am from a coastal town near Galveston, also no longer in existence." He answered.

The conversation trailed off and a comfortable silence entered the truck for the rest of the drive. I didn't feel like I had to fill the silence with Jasper. I wasn't even tempted to turn on the radio, which was highly unusual for me.

We made it to the bookstore shortly after leaving school. When we entered, I took a deep breath in and let out a happy sigh.

"Home away from home for you as well?" Jasper asked.

"I like to call it my oasis away from home. If I could live in a bookstore, I would. Emmett always says my bedroom looks like a bookstore though. I have bookshelves everywhere." I answered back without opening my eyes.

"Well, where should we start?" he responded.

"History, always start with history."

"You're a history buff as well? What's your favorite time period?"

With that we made our way over to the history section and proceeded to show each other our favorite books and authors. We also had many historical debates about alternative endings to major wars.

"Jasper, I really don't think the country would be as successful as it is now had the south won the Civil War."

"You're right Bella. The country would be MORE successful. The War of Northern Aggression was rigged, the south should have won."

"I think we are just going to have to agree to disagree on this subject." This being the 3rd debate we had ending in the same manner.

As if it had a personal vendetta to embarrass me, my stomach let out a loud growl alerting me to the fact I had a small breakfast and barely touched my lunch.

"Hungry much, Bella?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stupid human needs. I'll pick something up after I drop you off at your place. I hate having to subject vampires to human food smells."

"If you want something more substantial than fast food, I don't mind."

"Nah, it's fine. Since being back in Texas, I haven't had the chance to eat Jesus food."

"Jesus food?" he looked at me strangely.

"Whataburger. Food of the gods. Jesus food. Orgasm in my mouth food. God's gift to humanity after Texas." I answered back. He let out a loud laugh and then led me to the cashier so I could buy all my new books.

$150 later and several bags full of books, we were back in the truck on our way back to drop Jasper off. He directed me to the Cullen house and the closer we got, the more I realized that the Cullens' property started where Emmett and I's land ended on the east.

"Did you realize we are neighbors?" I asked him.

"Not until this morning when we saw you and Emmett drive by on your way to school. Edward and I made a quick run east trying to figure out where y'all came from when we came across your house. It's about a 5 min drive or a 1.5 min run. Just far enough that we can't smell or hear anything."

I nodded my head as I turned onto his driveway and made my way up to the impressive Cullen abode.

"Nice house. I was expecting something more…well, just more. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, makes perfect sense. Rose and Alice like to flaunt the family money in the way they dress and the cars they drive. Ok, we all flaunt the money with our cars. But in general, we don't like to display our wealth too much."

"Em and I are the same. I love our house because of its location on the lake and the price tag on the land was enough to make any mortal cringe but I couldn't pass it up."

"I had a lot of fun today Bella."

"I did too Jasper. I think this is the start to a beautiful…well whatever this is." I awkwardly replied. He gave me a small smile before getting out of the truck.

Emmett made his way out of the Cullen house and down to the walk with an evil smirk on his face.

"Whatever you are thinking Emmett, stop right now."

"Oh Belly Bells, I was only coming here to tell you that I have invited all the Cullen kids over to the house for a night of fun and games."

"You're up to something Emmett McCarty Swan, and I intend to find out what it is and stop you. Well, I have to get the truck back to the house so does everyone want to ride in the truck or run over there?"

Everyone but Jasper decided to run so, Jasper and I hopped in the truck and made our way back to my place. I started to feel a little giddy inside. As much as Emmett caused trouble, he also knew how to have fun and I couldn't wait to see what sort of shenanigans he had planned for the evening with our new vampire friends.

"Prepare for an interesting night Jasper. I have a feeling none of us will be the same by the time the sun comes up tomorrow."

"_When the sun goes down, we'll be grooving. When the sun goes down, feeling all right. When the sun sinks down, over the water. Everything gets hotter when the sun goes down." _Jasper sang as we drove. I let out a laugh and sang with him.

**AN: So here is the next chapter. I am already working on the next chapter and hopefully that will be up by Monday (don't hold me to that). **

**I made a Pinterest board dedicated to this story. It will have things like what I picture the characters looking like, the houses, bedrooms, cars, etc. As I have said before, I am a visual person so I like to have these kinds of things readily available to look at for inspiration. The link to the board will be on my profile. **

**Also, don't forget to check out my Polyvore account to see the outfits these crazy kids are wearing for this story. **

**The song was "When the Sun Goes Down" by Kenney Chesney. I do not own the characters or the song. I only own the plot. **


	4. Chapter 4

Jasper and I walked into the house and followed the voice we heard to the kitchen. Everyone was gathered around the island where Emmett was quickly mixing up various drinks.

"Bella, since it is a Friday night, you are drinking tonight." Emmett proudly proclaimed.

"May I ask what the occasion is?"

"We made new friends, I found my mate. I'm pretty sure you found yours as well, don't worry, I am not going to pry. And we are back in Texas. Isn't that enough?"

I nodded my head and made my way to the island for my first drink. I didn't know what Emmett was up to but I was already forming a plan in my head to mess with him before he could mess with me.

Tapping into Edward's ability again, I mentally started talking to Jasper.

"_So, I am pretty sure Emmett is going to get me drunk tonight and I am going to let him but I need your help with something."_

"_How may I be of service?"_

"_When I get drunk, I need you to direct how I feel at Emmett. If my theory is correct, he will feel drunk as well."_

"_Oh you are truly an evil little creature." _He directed a sly grin in my direction as I downed the first tequila shot.

"_Tequila makes her clothes fall off_." Jasper sang out loud to the group.

"Dude, that's my little sister. So wrong."

"And I consider Rose to be my little sister and I am pretty sure you two have already done things that might be illegal in some states but you don't hear me complaining."

"That's different. Rose is…well she's Rose and I'm Emmett and its ok with us. Not ok with you and Bella."

"Double standard much brother?" I snapped in his direction. "I am 111 years old. I think I have more than earned the right to a) flirt with a man, b) have a man flirt with me, and c) do whatever I want with my body, thank you very much. Now, pour me another drink and let's get on with this diabolical plan of yours before I hurt you."

"You will always be 17 years old to me Bella. I will always look at you as my kid sister. I know you are an adult and more than responsible enough to make the right choices. It's just hard for me to let go of you."

"I will always come back to you Emmett. You're my family, my blood. That will never change." He gave me a small smile as Alice handed me another shot glass.

With our heart to heart over with, we all made our way into the living room to do whatever Emmett had planned next.

"Truth or Dare" was all he said when we were all seated. I rolled my eyes at him and took another sip of the colorful drink Emmett had made for me. Alice bounced on the couch and started to clap her hands while Rose got an evil glint in her eyes.

"Rose, truth or dare?" Alice asked.

"Truth"

"Have you ever wanted to be dominated in bed?"

Rose looked like if she could blush, she would be beat red. "Yes" she answered so quietly I barely heard her. Emmett whipped his head in her direction and let out a low growl.

"Emmett, don't you dare pull her away from this game to have your wicked way with her." I quickly said. He huffed but otherwise was ok with staying.

"Ok, Jasper, truth or dare?" Rose asked.

"Dare, I guess" he responded.

"I dare you to let Bella do a body shot off you."

Silence. Mine and his. No one knew about our plan to take things slow but even I had to admit that there was tension between us. It had only been a day and I already wanted him to touch me in some way. Who knew what would happen between us if I did this body shot?

"Only if Bella wants to." Jasper said while looking at me. The look in his eyes was one of cautious wanting. He wanted me to do the shot but didn't want to push me.

"Um….sure?"

Alice quickly went to the kitchen and came back with a shot of tequila, salt, and a lime. She put everything on the coffee table and sat back down next to Edward. I stared at the offending items on the coffee table before I felt a surge of confidence.

"_Thanks, I am going to need that."_

"_You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. I can tell Rose for another dare."_

"_No, I want to do this. I am just a little scared of how it's going to affect the bod between us. We have avoided touching up to this point."_

He just looked into my eyes and sent some more confidence my way.

"Ok, so you need to lick somewhere on his body and put salt there. Then he needs to hold the lime in his mouth."

"Thank you Rose. I know how to do a tequila shot though."

I decided to put my reservations aside and just go for it. I handed Jasper the shot glass and the lime and I held onto the saltshaker. Jasper put the lime in his mouth and then looked at me. I scooted close enough to him to where my knees were touching the side of his thigh.

I leaned forward and licked the side of his neck near where his neck met his shoulder. I poured the salt on and then reached for the shot. I licked the salt up, took the shot, and leaned forward for the lime.

Jasper's eyes were black with lust and I needed a change of panties. I took the lime from his mouth and gently sucked on it. When I broke eye contact, I noticed that everyone else had left the room.

"Emmett and Rose ran out to go hunting. Alice and Edward ran back to our house. I guess I was projecting my lust." Jasper whispered.

"Sorry, I think I took that a little too far." I said quickly while I stood up with near vampire speed. "I just…need some space. I'm sorry." I said again as I turned and ran out the back door.

I didn't hear Jasper run after me and the further I got, the more my chest started to hurt. I only made it as far as my meadow before I collapsed down onto my hammock.

I don't know how long I lay in my hammock before I heard him approach. I didn't react to his presence when he entered the meadow. When he lay down next to me, I grabbed for his hand and he let me.

We were there on that hammock the rest of the night just looking up at the stars. We didn't talk, choosing to communicate solely with our emotions. We finally moved when the sun started to come up.

"Bella, I want you to know that, while I thoroughly enjoyed the shot fiasco, I am still willing to go at whatever pace you want. I am willing to do anything you want if you tell me."

"I don't know what I want anymore Jasper. I just don't know."

"Well then, let's figure this out together."

**AN: Wow, 2 chapters in one night. Didn't think that was going to happen but Jasper and Bella wouldn't let me sleep. **

**Jasper and Bella's relationship is probably going to be a lot of "speed up no wait slow down". They are both confused about this mating thing. **

**Since it is Spring Break, I am hoping to crank out a decent number of chapters. **

**Don't forget to check out my profile for links to stuff pertaining to this story. **


	5. Chapter 5

Jasper walked me back to my house before leaving for his own place. On the walk back, I got a text from Emmett saying he was going to be with Rose all night.

When I got back to the house, I went into the kitchen and whipped up some soup and a grilled cheese before going into the theater room and watched a movie. Finally alone with my thoughts, I contemplated how I wanted my newfound relationship with Jasper to go. I knew I cared for him and I had a strong attraction to him. I was afraid of getting in too deep because I was afraid he would get bored of me and leave me.

I don't know where my fear of abandonment came from. Before my parents were brutally murdered and Em and I were changed, we had been a pretty tight family unit. Once the tragedy happened, Emmett never left my side. However, I still always had a fear that everyone I loved would leave me and I would be alone.

With Jasper, I so badly wanted to act like a normal teenager. I wanted to hold his hand, hug him, kiss him, and have my wicked way with him but I didn't know if I could let go of my personal independence.

Multiple glasses of chocolate milk and several movies later, I decided that I could still be in a slow paced relationship with Jasper but I didn't have to be totally glacial to the guy. He seemed to be just as hesitant and cautious about all this as I was.

I was cleaning up and planning to head to my room to try and get some sleep, that I rarely actually needed but enjoyed nonetheless, when Jasper texted me.

**No one is here at the house. Want to hang out for a bit? –J**

** No one is here either but I would enjoy nothing less than hanging out with you. –B**

** Be there in 5 -J**

I made my way to the entryway to wait for him. When he came running out of the surrounding forest, my breath caught in my throat.

"Hey" Jasper said

"Hi" I shyly replied. "How about a house tour and then maybe a movie?"

"Sounds perfect."

I showed him around our house starting with the living room, theater room, and game room before showing him upstairs.

"On the left is the library and Emmett's suite and here on the right is my suite." I said as I opened the door to let him into my personal sanctuary. He stepped in and looked around before looking back at me.

"Why do you have another library? Your bedroom looks like a well stocked library already." He said with a smile.

"The library is really more for show. Em and I will sometimes do our homework in there and that's where all the computers are located. My bedroom is full of all my favorite books, books I plan to read, history books I have collected over the years and so on and so on. My bedroom is my sanctuary."

Jasper looked at me for another second before taking my hand and leading me back to the theater room. We decided to watch **The Patriot** and I made a quick bowl of popcorn.

"Jasper, I have something to tell you."

"Am I going to like what you have to tell me?"

"I think so. I wanted to talk to you about the pace of our relationship." I took a deep breath before diving in and telling him about my epiphany. "So, you see, I don't think we have to be totally chaste and prudish. I just don't want to be like Em and Rose and feel the need to jump your bones every time I see you. Although, I am sure in time that will be true for us as well but, I would like to think we will have more restraint than that." My confession quickly turned into verbal diarrhea before I trailed off and stared at the fabric of my seat.

Jasper tilted my chin up to look at him. He glanced down at my lips and then back my eyes. He repeated the circuit a good 5 times before speaking. "Bella, I am going to kiss you now if that's ok with you?"

Instead of answering him, I leaned forward initiating the kiss. The moment our lips touched, I saw the proverbial fireworks on the backs of my eyes. It was the single most epic moment of my existence up to this point and I would never forget it.

We kept kissing for god knows how long. Jasper only pulled away long enough for me to take a breath before he started to kiss my lips again. Before I knew what was happening, Jasper had pushed me back on the couch and was hovering over me. I froze.

"Don't worry Bella, I don't plan on taking this any further tonight." I gave him a small smile before kissing him again.

"Not that I actually need the sleep, but its time for me to go get some. A human habit I refuse to break." I said as I pushed him up.

"Go to bed beautiful. I will see you tomorrow." With that, I walked him to the door and kissed him goodnight.

I walked up to my bedroom with the stupidest grin ever.

**Made it back to the house. Listening to all the couples have private time. There are some things one should never hear coming from their parents bedroom. –J**

** Oh man, that sounds horrible. I don't know when Em is planning on coming back tomorrow but you can come over whenever. Maybe we can order some of those books you were telling me about. –B**

** Sounds like a date. Sleep tight darlin'. –J**

I slept soundly that night. No dreams to remember, which for me was a very good thing. I got out of bed and went about my morning routine.

I was just finishing up cleaning from breakfast when the doorbell rang. Knowing it could only be one person, I ran at breakneck speed to get to the door.

"Hey Jasper!" I said as I hugged him.

"Hey Bell, sleep well?"

"I've never had such a good night's sleep. I wish I could sleep like that every night." He gave me a small smile that looked like he knew something I didn't. I didn't question him about it but showed him up to the library so we could order books.

3 hours and hundreds of dollars later, Jasper and I made our way downstairs just as the rest of the 'kids' walked through the front door.

"Little Bear! I missed you last night! Sorry I wasn't here to tuck you into bed."

"Emmett, name one time you have ever tucked me into bed."

"Umm….good point. I still missed you though."

"I missed you too Brother Bear. Did you have a good night? Wait, don't answer that, I don't wanna know the sordid details."

Everyone laughed at that and we all made our way to the game room for a day full of healthy competition.

"Emmett, stop trying to push me over. Cheaters never win!" I yelled for the 5th time. Em and I were facing off on Just Dance. Em never won this game because he didn't know how to sing and shake his hips at the same time. It was one or the other with him.

When the song ended, and I won, Emmett moved to pout on the couch, as usual.

"Aww come on Emmie. Don't be a sore loser! It's just a game after all."

He huffed at me before crossing his arms and looking away from me. I turned to face Jasper when I heard a 'whack' followed by "Ow, goddamnit Rosie, that really hurt!" I giggled while turning around to face them.

"Think that's funny do you? That's it little sister, I here by do declare a duel. This is my proverbial face slap with glove."

"Name your terms."

"Paintball. Boys vs girls. Winners get to dress losers in whatever clothing they want. Also, losers wash all winners cars."

"Deal." We shook hands before Em ran upstairs to get gear for the guys and running out to the woods. I went and got gear for the girls before we started to plan our attack.

"I climb trees really fast and am like a hobbit so I will go after the flag." I said.

"What do you mean you are like a hobbit?" Rose asked.

"You know, a hobbit. Like from Lord of the Rings? Hobbits can sneak around undetected. They make great thief's, precious." They both gave me blank stares. "Wow, ok. Guess I am the only nerd here. Anyway, I go for flag, you 2 go after the guys." They nodded and we made our way to the forest.

"Rules are, there are no rules. You get shot, your out. If one team has all their players shot before a flag is recovered, the other team wins. First team to get the other team's flag and make it back to the back patio, wins."

"No using powers." I added to Emmett's rules that weren't rules.

We all agreed to the terms and went in separate directions to hide our flags. The girls and I decided to hide our flag high up in a tree.

I stayed up in the trees and quietly made my way in the direction the guys left. I could hear them trying to walk quietly looking for us.

"I know you're close Rose. I can feel you." Emmett said into the masses of trees. Next thing I knew, Emmett let some of his paint bullets fly and then I heard Rose shriek.

"Damnit Em, I'm out!" Rose yelled into the sky.

"1 down, 2 to go." Edward whispered.

30 minuets passed and Alice had gotten Em out and Edward got Alice out. I sniped Edward from a tree. With just Jasper and I left in the game, I upped my pace hopping from branch to branch.

"You can't hide from me for long Bella, I have military training."

I didn't answer because I saw the boys flag less than 100 yards away from me. They too had decided to hide theirs in a tree but lower to the ground. I looked around trying to spot Jasper. I couldn't see him so I made a move to the flag. I stopped when I heard a twig snap on the forest floor. Jasper made his way to stand under the tree I was hiding in and looked around.

"I can feel that you are near. It's only a matter of time before you show yourself darlin'. I can wait a lifetime."

His words hit closer to home than I knew he meant them too. He was just talking about the game but I took them in reference to our budding relationship. I decided to push those thoughts into the back of my head and deal with them later. I laid down on a large branch and pointed my gun down at Jasper. Taking a deep breath in, I pulled the trigger.

"Ah, damnit! I'm out!" Jasper yelled. "Bella, where are you?"

I jumped down from the tree and landed gracefully in front of him.

"What was that about military training babe?"

He glared at me before hugging me. When we made it back to the house, Alice and Edward left to go get cleaned up after we all agreed to meet back in an hour.

"Jasper, you can use the shower in my bathroom after me. I'll go now. I wont take long."

He nodded his head at me and went to talk to Emmett while Rose took a shower as well.

In the shower, I mulled over what Jasper had said during the game. He said he would wait a lifetime for me. Those few words had flipped a switch in my brain. All of a sudden, I was no longer afraid he would get bored of me and leave me. I felt secure with him, like I could depend on him for anything. I also knew that he respected the fact that I needed some independence. I would always need time to get away and just think alone. He knew that because he needed it too. I was starting to think we were 2 parts of the same whole.

Once out of the shower and dressed, I made my way into the bedroom to see Jasper lounging on my bed like he owned the place.

"Whatever epiphany you just had in the shower must have been good. I have been feeling all blissed out since you came up here."

"Trust me when I say, this epiphany was probably the best thing to ever happen to both of us aside from actually meeting each other."

He smiled at me and then made his way into the bathroom. I tried not to think about the naked hot vampire in the bathroom but failed. I didn't know how much longer I could hold out without doing more than just kissing with Jasper. I think I was fighting a losing battle.

**AN: What is happening right now!? 3 chapters in less than 24 hours. Spring Break will do that to a person. **

**Don't forget to review, they make me happy. Also, usual comment about links on my profile, blah, blah, blah…**

**Until next time my lovelies.**


	6. Chapter 6

Once everyone made their way back to Em and I's place, we sat around the dining room table trying to decide what we were going to do for the rest of the night.

"No Emmett, we will not be getting me drunk and playing truth or dare again. We just did that a few days ago."

"But Bella, your little body shot off Jasper ended the game prematurely."

"Like I'm sure happened to you when you ran off with Rose."

"You did NOT just say that. I would like you to know that I can last a really long time, thank you very much."

"I really didn't need to know that Emmett, and yes, I really did just say that."

"You will pay for that little bear, I will make you pay for that!"

"You and what army?" I sent a smirk in Emmett's direction. Emmett never took me up on my threats. He was too afraid to hurt me even though I had proven time and time again that it takes a lot to hurt me. I think he was just afraid of getting beaten by a girl.

The room was silent as Emmett and I stared each other down. I could tell he was getting more and more frustrated as he tried to think of a way to challenge me to something he could win and not hurt me. I saw the moment the light bulb went off in his head and waiting anxiously to hear what he thought of.

"I am going to challenge you to something, but not tonight. Tonight, I want all of us to hang out and have a little bit of fun." Emmett said to the group.

"If that's what you want bubba. What shall we do then? Getting back to the original question."

"Movies and pizza for you?"

"Sounds perfect!"

Our little group slowly started to spend as much time together as possible. Jasper and I were basically inseparable as time went on. We kissed each other often but neither one of us made a move to go any further. It wasn't that we were ok with only kissing but rather, afraid of changing what we had between us.

The girls and I still hadn't cashed in our victory paintball win and Emmett hadn't challenged me to anything since I had insulted his manliness. Spring Break was right around the corner and we were all trying to decide on what we wanted to do for the week. Alice and Rose wanted to spend the week shopping, the boys wanted to spend the week hunting. I wanted to spend the week reading and relaxing because that is what I thought Spring Break was for, relaxing.

"You guys can do whatever you want for the break. I, however, will be staying here with my books and Jacuzzi tub." I said for the final time.

"But Bella, I don't feel very comfortable leaving you hear by yourself for a week." Emmett said.

"Em, I know that we have never spent more than 1 day apart basically our entire lives. But you have a mate now and I am capable of taking care of myself. I want you to go and be happy. I don't want you to have to constantly worry about me forever. I'll be fine, I promise." He reluctantly agreed and everyone went their ways to pack for whatever they were going to do, except Jasper.

"Shouldn't you be off packing for your epic week long hunting trip?" I asked him.

"I am exactly where I want to be. I want to spend the break with you, if you will allow me."

I gave him a shy smile but nodded my head. We made our way up to my bedroom where I sat on my bed and he sat on the floor next to the bed and we read for the rest of the day. To be honest, I was getting slightly tired of our daily routine. Go to school, come home, go to my room, read, eat dinner, read, go to sleep.

"What's got you all frustrated up there beautiful?" he asked.

"Honestly? I'm kind of bored of our routine. I just don't know how to change it." Normally, I wouldn't have been that brutally honest. I had a feeling that he was using his gift to encourage me. "Stop influencing me."

"Sorry, just wanted to you tell me exactly what was wrong. I'm kind of bored of the routine too. What do you suggest we do to change that?"

We sat in silence for a while, while I thought about it. I never broke eye contact with him while I thought. The longer I looked at him, the more I realized I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted him, every part of him. I wanted to take our, whatever we had, to the next level.

"Jasper, what are we? Are you my mate? Boyfriend? Best friend?"

"Am I not all of the above to you? I consider you to be my mate, girlfriend, and best friend."

"Yeah, you are. We just never talked about it. I didn't know if we were on the same page." I whispered. "It would be a lot easier to have this conversation with you next to me."

He looked deep into my eyes before moving and sitting next to me on the bed. "I feel like I don't know much about your personal history Jasper. I mean, I know about the vampire wars and Marie and your human life but I don't know much about your life between meeting the Cullens and now."

"Is this your roundabout way of asking about past relationships?" He asked with a smirk.

"Yes and no." I replied back with a smile.

"There have only been 3 other women before you, one of which was Maria. She used sex as a weapon and manipulator so she barely counts. The other 2, well, one was our 'cousin' Tanya. She is a succubus and was just a momentary thing. We were both lonely but we both knew our relations wouldn't lead to anything deeper." He paused and looked away before continuing. "The last woman was actually Alice. She found me in a bar one night and told me we had to go find the Cullens. It took us a few years and along the way we, took comfort in each other. Again, we both knew we weren't meant for each other but it was a nice distraction for a fleeting moment."

He stopped talking but was staring at the wall like it held the answers to life.

"Wow, the way you and Alice act around each other, I never would have guessed." We sat there together, thinking in silence, before he turned to me.

"Your turn."

"Well, I have only been with 1 other man. Garrett, the nomad who told Em and I about your family. Sort of the same situation as you with Tanya and Alice. Both of us were lonely and in need of some, um, attention of the personal persuasion. I was also involved with a man before I was turned. We were supposed to get married."

"Garrett, really?"

"What can I say? I have a thing for former military men. He also was wearing parts of his old uniform when we ran into him."

"I still have my old uniform. Maybe I will bust it out one day."

"I'm not responsible for my actions if you do that."

He chuckled before leaning over and kissing me. We had never kissed on the bed before. Some unspoken rule or something. The kiss quickly intensified and before I knew it, I was reaching for the hem of Jasper's shirt and he was reaching for mine. He laid me back on the bed and ran his hands over my exposed torso. I looked into his eyes as I reached behind me and unhooked my bra, we had never gone this far before. Once I had my bra off, Jasper lowered his head and started to kiss down my torso.

**AN: So, I know I am evil for leaving you hanging there but, before I continue, I need to know if y'all want lemons in this story. If I add them, I will have to change the rating of the story and run the risk of the FanFiction sex nazi's taking my story down, which I am totally willing to do if that's what y'all want. **

**So let me know if you want the lemons, if not, they will be implied as we continue on. Also, I have some ideas floating around about some upcoming conflict.**

**Until next time my lovelies. **


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